On retreat, boys learn silence

Frank Roberts, a retiring Catholic teacher of over 40 years, Fr Dominic Allain, chaplain of Cardinal Vaughan school, and Laurence Gambella, another teacher who is now off to seminary, enjoyed a pleasant retreat with 40 Catholic Year 10 boys from the Vaughan at Tyburn Convent on Friday, July 2, writes Patrick Fleischer.

The day was spent listening to Mother Marie-Channelle talk about the Catholic martyrs executed at Tyburn gallows.

Mother Marie-Channelle also gave a talk about the life of an enclosed contemplative and answered dozens of questions on the life of a Benedictine religious. The boys simply could not believe anyone could live without television.

The boys were able to look at a variety of first-class relics which the mothers at Tyburn keep in their crypt.

This crypt was recently redecorated and now is an attractive place for Catholics to come and visit a bit of true Catholic history. The nuns also provided the boys with tea.

Fr Allain led the boys in five sorrowful mysteries of the rosary, 15 minutes of silence before the Blessed Sacrament and celebrated a Mass of the Holy Martyrs. He gave a sermon on the importance of keeping the faith alive today just as the martyrs did in the past.

The retreat ended in Hyde Park, where the boys ate lunch and played football, both the English and the American variety.

“I’ve never sat for 15 minutes in silence,” said one boy. “It was a new experience for me. I
liked it.”

Another boy noted that he could not believe a young novice in front of the Blessed Sacrament “barely moved for 30 minutes”. He said: “How, Sir? How did she do it?”

Their religious education teacher said: “Anything is possible with God. Even you could do it for 15 minutes.”